Helmet



Feb. 18, 1947.

J. A. MERCER HELMET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1945 I I I I.

Jzimercer INVHVTOR.

ITTORNEKS'.

Feb. 18, 1947. J. A. MERCER HELMET Filed June 18, 1945 ZSheets-Sheet 2 did-Herder INVEVTOR.

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Patented Feb. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HELMET James A. Mercer, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Application June 18, 1945, Serial No. 600,150

4 Claims. (01. 2-177) This invention relates to helmets of the topper type.

Heretofore headgear of this form has been made of stiffened heavy fabric or of pulp and the crown and brim portions have been made integral. It has been difficult to clean helmets made in the manner described and, furthermore, they have frequently been of excessive weight.

An object of the present invention is to pro vide a helmet of the topper type, the crown portion of which is made of a Washable fabric detachably connected. to the brim portion, it being designed to so construct the crown portion that it can be washed like any other garment, stiffened with starch or the like, and readily applied to the brim portion.

t is another object of the invention to provide the brim portion or the helmet with a removable washable cover which, in position, is detachably connected not only to the brim portion butalso to the crown portion.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear 'as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be madein the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a helmet constructed in accordance with the present invention, portions being broken away.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the brim portion, its cover being removed.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the crown portion of the helmet, a portion being broken away.

Figure 4 is a section through a portion of the helmet showing one of the sections between the brim portion, its cover, the crown, and the chin strap, said section being on the line 4-4, Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the connection between the brim portion, its cover and the sweatband said section being on the line 5--5, Fig. 1. I

Figure 6 'is an enlarged section on line 65, Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates the brim of the helmet which can be made of plastic having requisite strength or of suitably stiffened fabric, pulp or the like.

Portions of it can be reduced in weight by forming large holes 2 therein of any desired design and arrangement. The brim portion also differs from those ordinarily used because, instead of being integral with the crown portion of the helmet, it is provided at its upper edge with an up wardly extending continuous flange 3 while its lower or outer edge is provided with a depending annular flange 4, this latter flange having a slight are engaged by lugs it) having sockets it fitted securely about the members 9. These lugs are engaged by folded spring strips I I each of which has a longitudinal slot l2 in one end portion adjust'ably engaging one of the lugs it while the other end portion of the spring strip is securely fastened to a sweat band It. Thus the sweatband, which can be adjustable, is held yieldingly spaced from the flange 3 so that air can circulate freely between them.

The brim has a removable Washable cover formed. of a light fabric and indicated at M. This cover is proportioned to fit snugly on the brim and has an upwardly extended annular portion M adapted to extend around flange 3. This upwardly extended portion is provided with socket members 15 and i6 alternately arranged, the members I5 being adapted to snap into engagement with the fastener members 9, as shown in Fig. 5 while the socket members l6 are adapted to snap into engagement with the fastener members 6. As the members 6 and =9 are alternately arranged along the flange '3 and the socket members l5 and it are similarly arranged, it will be apparent that when the various socket members are snapped into position, they will hold the upper portion of the cover Mi4' snugly about the brim. The outer or lower portion of the cover is held securely to the flange 4 by means of a strip ll of elasticmaterial which is seated in the marginal portion'of the cover 4 and serves to press the former against the concave surface of the flange 4. The outer portions of the fasteners 6 are adapted to be detachably engaged by socket members I8 proportioned to snap into position thereon. These socket members are se-' cured within the crown portion IQ of the helmet close to the edge thereof. This crown portion is formed of a light weight fabric and is of the folds or seams, indicated at 2|, which extend from the edge of the crown portion to the center thereof as shown particularly in Figs. land 3. The material of which the cover M and the crown portion 19 are made can be of any dc sired weight and color and when these parts are removed from the brimportion I, they can 7 be washed like any other garments, supplied with starch or other stiflening material, dried and pressed or otherwise reshaped. Thereafter the cover portion M is applied to the brim portion as alreadyexplained after which the crown portion is placed around the upwardly extending part 14 and fastened in plac by snapping the socket members 58 into engagement with the fasteners 6.

When the Various parts are assembled the helmet'has the appearance of the topper type but, as before explained, has the advantageof lightness and the further easily cleaned. It is to be understood of'course that a suitable hat band can be placed on the helmet to improve its appearance. Furthermore, under some conditions, it might be desirable to utilize removable ribs of plastic or othersuitable material for stifiening purposes instead of relying. upon the stifiening seams or the like illustrated at 2 I. o

What is claimed is:

1. A helmet including a stiff brim portion having inner and outerflanges extended upwardly and downwardly respectively, a washable fabric cover overlying the brim portion, separate means advantage of being 2,416,062 "T xi for detachably connecting the upper and lower portions of said cover to the upper and lower flanges respectively, a crown portion overlying and surrounding said upper flange and that porjtion of the cover connected thereto, means for detachably connecting the crown portion to the upper flange and the cover, said crown portion being of a flexible fabric, and means embodied in the crown portion for stiffening the same.

3. A helmet including a stiff brim portion having inner and outer flanges extending upwardly and downwardly respectively, a washable fabric cover overlying the brim portion, separate means for detachably connecting the upper and lower portions of said coverto the upper and lower flanges respectively, a crown portion overlying I and surrounding said upper flange and that por.

means including ribs integral with the crown portion and converging from the edge thereof toward the center of the crown portion.

4; A helmet including a stiff brim portion hav- 1 ing an upwardly extended inner flange, a wash able fabric cover overlying'the brim portion,

means for attaching it to the flange,'a crown portion overlying and surrounding said flange and that portion of the cover connected thereto, means for detachably connecting the crown portion to said flange and cover, said crown portion comprising a washable fabric stiffened with awater soluble material and including integral stiffening ribs of folded fabric extending from' the center to the marginal portion of said crown portion. 7 V V 7 JAMES A. MERCER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 7 Name 7 Date 2,032,033 Swift June 1, 1937 1,044,977 Berlin et a1. Nov;l9, 1912 1,632,598 Hart V June .14, 1927 780,782 I Curtis Jan.-24, 1905 

